There has never been and will never be a greater manifestation of love than that which began in the manger. That baby represented pure perfection, grace, forgiveness, and love for a broken and sinful world. For my broken and sinful self. Not a day passes where I am not caught up by trivial matters or selfish attitudes or hurtful words or pride or lust or jealousy or whatever it might be. But despite all that, a perfect and just God still loves me passionately and refuses to let me go. God’s love is patient and kind. It does not envy or boast. It is not rude or arrogant. It does not seek its own interests. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice in wrongdoing. God’s love rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. God’s love never fails; it never ends. I can never love anyone so perfectly as God loves me, but the only way that I can begin to love God’s way is through realizing the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross, the 30 years of sacrifice and service that preceded it, and that holy night when God sacrificed His own Son and sent Him to this world to redeem us.
Christmas is so precious not because of tradition or time with family or cheerfulness or peace or any other wonderful things about this time of year. Christmas is precious because of a God without whom no good thing is possible and because of the fierce love with which He recklessly pursues us.
I am blessed and thankful beyond measure tonight that I am redeemed and made whole by the love of Jesus Christ.
